Mobile wireless communication devices such as cellular and other wireless phones, tablets, watches, and so on are ubiquitous in large part because of their mobility. Certainly such devices have extensive capabilities, and these capabilities seem to be constantly increasing. However, a large stationary system will almost always have a greater computing capability than a small mobile device. Thus, the primary benefit of mobile devices remains their mobility.
In this connection, the usable mobility of such devices is directly related to the extent to which wireless communications are available. The availability of wireless communications is sometimes referred to as coverage. An absence of coverage can cause dropped calls, failures to load media or applications, missed messages, and so on. However, not only does coverage affect connectivity, it also directly impacts the power cost of communications. For example, in an area of poor coverage due to a distant base station, the power cost of transmitting over the required distance may be much greater than the power cost would be if the base station were closer.
The present disclosure is directed to a system that may conserve device battery resources by strategic coverage tracking and network selection. However, it should be appreciated that any such benefit is not necessarily a limitation on the scope of the disclosed principles or of the attached claims, except to the extent expressly noted in the claims. Additionally, the discussion of technology in this Background section is merely reflective of inventor observations or considerations and is not intended to be admitted or assumed prior art as to the discussed details. Moreover, the identification of the desirability of a certain course of action is the inventors' observation, not an art-recognized desirability.